a butt of Malmsey. I heard the Chevalier d'Herblay
say so."

"The fool!" cried Blaisois, "I wish I had been in his place."

"Thou canst be," said Grimaud, writing down his figures.

"How?" asked Blaisois, "I can? Explain yourself."

Grimaud went on with his sum and cast up the whole.

"Port," he said, extending his hand in the direction of the first
compartment examined by D'Artagnan and himself.

"Eh? eh? ah? Those barrels I saw through the door?"

"Port!" replied Grimaud, beginning a fresh sum.

"I have heard," said Blaisois, "that port is a very good wine."

"Excellent!" exclaimed Mousqueton, smacking his lips. "Excellent; there
is port wine in the cellar of Monsieur le Baron de Bracieux."

"Suppose we ask these Englishmen to sell us a bottle," said the honest
Blaisois.

"Sell!" cried Mousqueton, about whom there was a remnant of his ancient
marauding character left. "One may well perceive, young man, that you
are inexperienced. Why buy what one can take?"

"Take!" said Blaisois; "covet the goods of your neighbor? That is
forbidden, it seems to me."

"Where forbidden?" asked Mousqueton.

"In the commandments of God, or of the church, I don't know which. I
only know it says, 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods, nor yet
his wife.'"

"That is a child's reason, Monsieur Blaisois," said Mousqueton in his
most patronizing manner. "Yes, you talk like a child--I repeat the word.
Where have you read in the Scriptures, I ask you, that the English are
your neighbors?"

"Where, that is true," said Blaisois; "at least, I can't now recall it."

"A child's reason--I repeat it," continued Mousqueton. "If you had been
ten years engaged in war, as Grimaud and I have been, my dear Blaisois,
you would know the difference there is between the goods of others and
the goods of enemies. Now an Englishman is an enemy; this port wine
belongs to the English, therefore it belongs to us."

"And our masters?" asked Blaisois, stupefied by this harangue, delivered
with an air of profound sagacity, "will they be of your opinion?"

Mousqueton smiled disdainfully.

"I suppose that you think it necessary that I should disturb the repose
of these illustrious lords to say, 'Gentlemen, your servant, Mousqueton,
is thirsty.' What does Monsieur Bracieux care, think you, whether I am
thirsty or not?"

"'Tis a very expensive wine," said Blaisois, shaking his head.

"Were it liquid gold, Monsieur Blaisois, our masters would n